If you have been thinking about an internship while pursuing your degree, you have the right idea in mind. Speaking purely from statistics, employers constantly point to internship experience as one of the most important points in their hiring process.

In other words, if you work an internship that is closely related to what you want to do when you graduate you have almost doubled your chances to get hired.

The simple fact of getting valuable interaction with people working in the industry is absolutely priceless. You will be able to see first hand what it takes to be successful in your field and, most importantly, you will be able to practice the skills that you will need to be successful.

It's time to drop the coffee-getting intern stereotype as we look at these top college internship programs that offer college students not only real work experience, but a chance to get a foot in the door towards a career.

An internship at one of these companies will be fun, knowledgeable and career building and provide a great way to gain experience, determine if you are interested in a certain career, receive on-the-job training and get paid for it at the same time.